News Headlines:

13 BJP MLAs openly back BSY, govt faces threat

9 Dec 2012, 1424 hrs IST
, AGENCIES

The BJP government faced the threat of
instability after 13 MLAs, defying the party, threw their lot behind former
Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa, who formally launched his Karnataka Janata Party
at a mega rally in Karnataka on Sunday (December 9).

Thirteen
loyalist MLAs of Yeddyurappa, who quit the BJP ten days ago, shared the dais
with him in an open defiance, putting the ruling BJP in a quandary as it had
warned of action if the legislators participated in today's rally or associated
with its former state strongman.

Addressing the rally, a show of
strength, a combative Yeddyurappa slammed Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar and
threw down the gauntlet at him to seek a fresh mandate.

"Shettar
said action will be taken against legislators if they participated in today's
rally. The government has no majority now. You are in Chief Minister's chair
because of the support of Yeddyurappa. If you have the guts, dissolve the
Assembly and seek fresh mandate".

The participation of these
MLAs, including H Halappa, Nehru Olekar, B P Harish, C C Patil and Sunil
Valyapure, who tendered his resigation yesterday as Infrastructure Development
Minister, is seen as a big blow to the Government.

Seeking to put up
a brave face, Shettar ruled out his resignation and asserted that he still
commanded majority. He, however, said action will be taken against those who
defied the party directive and participated in Yeddyurappa's rally. "There is no
question of tolerating indiscipline".

In another sign of
potential trouble for the five-month-old Shettar government, at a breakfast
hosted by MLC Shivaraj Sajjan here, at least 21 MLAs, seven MLCs and four Lok
Sabha members met Yeddyurappa. Seven ministers, including Basavaraja Bommai, C M
Udasi, Murugesh Nirani and Shobha Karandlaje, were among those present at this
meeting. But they, except Valyapure, skipped the rally, apparently to avoid the
wrath of the party.

Sending a warning to Yeddyurappa's loyalists,
Shettar had yesterday sacked his trusted lieutenant B J Puttaswamy from the
ministry while the party had suspended Tumkur MP G S Basavaraju.

But
the number at the breakfast meeting has disappointed Yeddyurappa, who expected
more than 40 MLAs to turn up, according to sources in the Karnataka Janata
Party, reins of which he took over today at the rally becoming its
President.

In the 224-member assembly, BJP has a strength of 118,
Congress 71, JDS 26, Independents seven and two vacancies.

Yeddyurappa slammed the BJP for the action against Puttaswamy and
Basavaraju, flaying it as "selective", as the crisis in BJP appears headed for a
flash-point.

He said it's "very well-known" about Ministers, MLAs
and MPs who are supporting him. "I am wondering why the BJP leadership is
delaying and hesitating to take action against them. Instead of dilly-dallying
and taking selective action, I dare the BJP leadership to dissolve the Assembly
and go before the people".

"It's known truth that the Government
is continuing in office with the support of my followers",he told reporters,
adding, he would like to remind the BJP leadership that it was because of his
leadership that the party could form its first-ever government in the
south.

"People of Karnataka will not tolerate the treatment meted
out to me by the BJP leadership and selective action taken against my
supporters"", Yeddyurappa said.

Today's developments triggered
calls for resignation of the BJP government by the opposition Congress on the
ground that it has been reduced to a minority.

KPCC President G
Parameshwara and Opposition Congress leader in the state assembly Siddarmaiah
said the BJP government would soon collapse.

Yeddyurappa strongly
justified the formation of a regional party, saying he saw a bright future for
it and noting such parties' role in Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.
He said he would begin a state-wide tour, starting from Bidar in the next
four-five days, to build the new party.

Three MLCs--Mumtaz Ali Khan,
Sajjan and M D Lakshminarayana (who is KJP General Secretary)-- also attended
the rally.

Yeddyurappa's new political chapter after a 40-year-long
association with the BJP climaxes a 16-month power struggle within the party and
running feud with the central leadership after he was asked to quit as chief
minister in July last year over the Lokayukta report on illegal mining indicting
him.

The 70-year-old Lingayat leader's attempts to regain chief
ministership was cold-shouldered by the party top brass who asked him to come
clean on corruption cases.

His bid for state party president had also
failed and the party sidelining him proved to be the last straw.